It's Just the Beginning
by teacups and lollipops
Summary: They met. It had begun. They had begun.


It's Just the Beginning

**DISCLAIMER: All related subjects, characters, etc. from The Hunger Games Trilogy belongs to author, Suzanne Collins.**

* * *

She tapped her fingers on the edge of the windowsill rapidly, her face filled with inpatients. It had been raining for the past couple of hours and she couldn't go outside into the rainy District, in which she lived in.

The little, scrawny 12-year old had hoped that the rain hadn't scared off any worthy game she could manage to hunt. She huffed and grunted some more at the thought of no food for today. Ever since her father had died at the mine accident two weeks ago, she was forced to carry the position of taking care of her family of two. The girl's mother had gone into deep depression and remained silent for the whole two weeks, only eating a small portion of what she was given and shutting out the world, including her two daughters.

About four days after the incident, the flu hit District 12 in an unexpected surprise. The 12- year Old's younger sister, a petite blonde, had just caught the flu and was almost at the brink of death. District 12's little huntress was shaking and rapidly pacing back and forth at that time, since she had no clue on what to do. A lot of the District's citizens had lined up at the Everdeen Residence, hoping that the mother will cure them or at least to try. It already put the huntress into too much pressure about the whole entire situation. She lost it all as she slammed her mother's bedroom door open and ran to her bed. She shook her in such a frenetic way, that the mother was sure that her oldest daughter had dislocated her bone structure. Or at least part of it.

The girl was screaming words and lots of words into her mother's face, as she still remains dead to the world. Tears of anger and despair rushed out into a flowing stream as she tries to shove in some sense to her mother. After the fifth try, she gave up and slumped to the ground in a defeated way. She sighed and suddenly hoped that she didn't wake up her sister with all the ruckus going on. As she finally got up from the cold wooden floor, she gave a seething glare to her mother, earning nothing but quietness from the pale figure lying in bed.

As the girl was about to exit from the miserable chamber of despair, she took notice of a rusty, old book that was resting on top of a few other ones on top of a small drawer. On the side of the book, there was elegant cursive writing and a small hand-drawn image of a pinnate leaf on the side. She stared at it in awe, as she never in her life once seen this book. She didn't think twice before snatching the book from its place and started flipping through pages to see what she could find that would serve as a good remedy for a flu. It took her a moment for her to realize that it was her father's writing that flashed in each and every page.

For once, she beamed happily thinking that she was meant to find the book and learn from it for her own sake.

She gathered all the herbs and materials she needed to make the remedy. She cuts and grinds and mashed it all together to make what she needed. A few tablespoons she gave to her sister and she recovered in a minimum of three days. But the girl wasn't done. She still had to treat the other poor people who had been camping day and night, waiting for help.

…

She shakes her head, trying to erase last week's event and focusing on now. She had realized that the rain had stopped over half an hour ago and she scolds herself for thinking too much nonsense, when all she needs to be thinking is keeping herself and her sister and mother alive at the time being.

Before she had the chance to step outside from her small house, she easily detected light footsteps stopping at the corner of the faded, worn-out couch behind her. After all those years of hunting with her father, she could hear almost anything her ears were capable of.

"I want daddy to come back," the eight year-old said, carrying a plush rabbit with holes on it.

She leapt onto her sister's lap as she cried and cried, yearning for her late father. Because of this being her first time dealing with this kind of problem, her sister could only stroke her hair in a comforting way and whisper meaningless words of reassurance that she knew, would mean nothing. Even her sister knows it. And she's just eight.

Eventually, her stomach had grumbled and shook, signaling that she better get moving if she wants to make it through the day with at least a bit of food.

She managed to get her sister back to bed and started running all the way to the place that made her feel more happier and free: the woods.

…

The woods had looked the same each and every day since she first stepped onto the patch of greenery with her father. The place reminded her of the times she and her father would come here to visit and pick a few berries when ripe. It would remind her of the constant missing of aim she had trouble dealing, when her father taught her how to use a bow and arrows. It also reminded her the days they would both come here and sing a few tunes that the mockingjay would pick up and share it with the world.

But she knew she couldn't let the memories tie her down. She had a responsibility to fulfill, a responsibility that should've belonged to the mother, not her.

She trekked through the woods, a bow and arrows in hand, as she tries to scavenge for a few squirrels she could easily sell to the old woman who gives her a bowl of soup and two coins and to the baker, who gives her the stale bread nobody wants and two coins as well. And her family too, of course.

The girl had managed to bring down two squirrels, shot right in the eye. She had also collected a few Katniss tubers and some berries, well ripe, to serve as a small desert after dinner.

While eyeing for another squirrel to come into view, she found a big plump rabbit in a perfectly designed snare that she could never do in her life. She had always followed her father's instructions on how to create a basic snare, and she had always failed every single time.

She came to a conclusion that she isn't the only person-aside from her father- to enter the world of wildlife.

Too busy staring at the snared rabbit in front of her, she failed to hear footsteps come behind her.

"Stealing is punishable by death, or haven't you heard?"

She gasped and turned around, facing a tall figure of a boy she vaguely remembered.

"I wasn't stealing, I was just looking. Mine never catch anything…" she muttered the last few words as she looked down to her scuffed boots.

The boy grunted and said, "What's your name?"

"Katniss…" she whispered.

"Catnip?" he asked, choking on a laugh.

"Katniss…" her voice raised a bit higher with hints of annoyance and anger.

His eyes studied her for a while. She was scrawny, indeed, and few inches below his height. She had the typical grey eyes and olive skin that all the people from the seam have. And long black hair that was braided every day. His eyes finally rested on the squirrels on her belt.

He raised an eyebrow; arms crossed, and simply asked, "How'd you get the squirrels?"

Katniss just raised her hand that had her bow.

His eyes widened and his mouth agape. He wondered how a small, bony girl like Katniss could use such a humongous weapon that's even bigger than her size. He also wondered how she got her hands onto a weapon of sorts.

"Where did you get that?" he asks.

Katniss hesitated in saying that her father had given it to her, since it brought back the memories. She was also hesitant in saying it because she had just met the boy and had no idea who he was. But then, a light flickered in her mind. She did, in fact, seen him but not met him, until now. He was one of the oldest child to receive a medal in the ceremony in honor of his father, who "sacrificed" his life in the mines for Panem. She too, also received one, since she was the oldest.

"From my father. He carved it out of wood." Katniss said.

"Oh."

"What's your name?" Katniss had asked. She crossed her arms and grunted, just as like Gale did.

"Gale Hawthorne." He casually answered.

She nods. "Looks like you can make quite a trap, from what I saw."

"Yep. My father had taught me."

"Yeah. Like I said, mine never catch anything. My dad always did the snares while I used the bow."

"Oh. How about we trade?" he asked after a few minutes in silence.

Katniss gave Gale a questioningly look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, since we both have to provide for our families, and it's hard because we can't catch as much with only one way-right?" Gale explains.

Katniss just nods her head. "Where are you getting at, Hawthorne?"

He holds up a finger to silence her. "Hold on. I'm not done yet,"

She rolls her eyes.

"Anyways, how about we trade techniques? You teach me the bow and arrow and I could teach you how to make snares. We could be a team together. Helping each other provide our families."

"So what you're saying is, that we make a team- together – to make providing our families more easier?"

"I guess that's what I'm saying, yeah." Gale rubs his forehead.

After a few minutes of thinking it thoroughly, she sticks out her hand. "Deal, but I get those snare lessons. If not, deal's gone, Hawthorne." She warns him.

"Fine, then. Deal. And I also get the bow and arrow lessons. Though I would probably have to use yours-"

"My father made another one, just in case. I could give it to you, if you want."

"Um, sure. That would be nice." He shrugs.

She glares at him. "Don't ask for much."

"I'm not!" Gale defends himself.

"Good. I suggest we get on a move. The animals don't stay for long, Hawthorne." She continues on walking through the woods.

"Why can't you call me by my name, instead of my last name?"

"Why can't YOU call me by my real name, instead of the little nickname you use?"

He smirks. "Touché, Catnip."

She groans. "Let's just go."

…

The next day, she was waiting in the forest, besides a big oval rock she found while hunting yesterday with Gale. They had agree to meet here everyday in the morning before hunting. She was stomping the ground, clearly very impatient with him being late.

Minutes later, he appeared from the trees and right beside her. "Morning, Catnip."

"Will you stop it?" she huffed as she glared at him hard. "And you're late, by the way."

About an hour later, while Gale was setting up his snare line again, he asked, "So, when are the lessons going to start?"

"Until I can find it. I have no idea where my dad put it." She replies, waiting for him to finish.

"Okay. Your lessons will start tomorrow in the morning, right after I set up the snare line again." Gale finishes tying the last knot to secure the snare and gets up to join Katniss.

Katniss admits that she is actually starting to enjoy Gale's presence around her, even if she had just met him yesterday. Kind of. For Katniss, she wouldn't be too lonely now that she had someone with her. And plus, the extra help wouldn't be bad, even if she is capable of doing most things by her self. She had a feeling they'll soon be friends one day. But only time can tell.

They hunt in a comfortable silence…well, Katniss does: Gale's just retrieving the animals she shot and also sets up little individual snares along the way.

In the middle of the day, while Katniss was following a wild turkey and Gale was just collecting another squirrel she shot, a lynx popped up behind Katniss. She turned around and let out a quiet gasp. Gale had heard and also turned around to face the lynx.

The creature looked at them bewildered and was about to move closer to them, but scrambled to defend this lynx if it ever attacks.

But it never did.

He just sniffs around and looks at them, as he was expecting them to give him something. Gale and Katniss decided if they just move somewhere else, the lynx wouldn't bother them.

But it did.

It kept following them, mostly at Katniss, so the two hunters had next decided to sprint into a run.

But it ran after them.

Katniss's shoulders heaved as she panted away from the harmless lynx. She grunted as she thought of one thing: her nickname.

Yep, it was official now. Katniss Everdeen would now become Catnip Everdeen, thanks to the animal chasing her and Gale away, deeper into the woods.

Gale had seemed to read her mind and chuckled. "What do we do now, Catnip?"

She knew it was just the beginning.


End file.
